Georgia senators push for a ‘full’ federal investigation into Bibb County Jail
Democratic Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are urging Attorney General Pamela Bondi and the Department of Justice to investigate the Bibb County Jail after media reports of its conditions, according to a letter sent to Bondi Thursday.
Ossoff and Warnock wrote the letter, which was shared by Warnock’s office, urging Bondi to open an investigation into the conditions at the Bibb County Jail, alleging that inmates’ and workers’ civil rights were being abused.
The letter highlighted the jail fight from early June that injured four and killed one inmate, as well as an inmate being thrown hot water in his face. The letter was sent to the DOJ Thursday, and cited coverage from The Telegraph and other local outlets to show the severity of issues at the facility.
The Democratic senators, who have previously urged investigations into potential human and civil rights abuses at local county jails, said the media reports on the Bibb County Jail were “disturbing,” according to the letter.
“Unfortunately, violence at this facility is not rare,” the letter stated.
The senators also acknowledged other incidents in the jail, such as Stephen Fossett’s struggle with multiple deputies inside the jail that later led to his death, and a high number of suicides at the jail.
“The pattern of violence at this facility is troubling,” the senators said in a letter.
Ossoff and Warnock also said living conditions are concerning at the Bibb County Jail. This issue has been pointed out by Macon’s NAACP president, Gwenette Westbrooks, and Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs. The two are regularly touring the jail and ensure changes are being made to address the issues, which include “cracked walls, broken plumbing, poor lighting and unsanitary conditions (that) create an environment no human should be subjected to,” the NAACP said previously. The NAACP presidents also requested in May that the DOJ investigate the jail after they described the jail.
All of these incidents resulted in a protest outside the jail in late May, which led Sheriff David Davis to walk outside the sheriff’s office to speak with protesters.
Davis agreed with the protesters about the severity of the issues at the jail and mentioned how most of the incarcerated people in the jails were “folks who really don’t want to be there,” and would be destructive and disruptive in the jail.
However, he encouraged them to protest “because I need something done about this facility here,” he said.
District 3 Commissioner Stanley Stewart was also among the crowd of protesters.
“We have been encouraged by local officials’ recent efforts to address Bibb County Jail conditions,” the senators said in their letter. “However, given the extremity of the reported health, safety, and civil rights concerns that persist in the jail, we urge the DOJ to conduct a full and thorough investigation into conditions at this jail and whether the rights of any individuals who work at or are incarcerated at these facilities may have been violated.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
